Spotlight: The Enemy UK Have Things To Say

Anticipated new album is planned for 2012

Social issues have long been a part of our musical heritage. In the ‘60s and ‘70s when the Vietnam
Conflict raged, it was music that kept it at the forefront of our consciousness. During the discontent of the ‘70s, a growing
list of artists and bands crafted whole albums about injustice, unrest,
disinterest, and the evident decay of our environment. Some of rock’s most historic, and enduring
songs have come from bands that addressed these social issues within their
lyrics. The fact that these bands were
musical powerhouses with great live performances made them legends in many
cases. The Clash is one such band that
springs to mind quite easily.

In 2007, an English band by the name of The Enemy (The Enemy
UK in the US) released their debut album, We’ll Live And Die In These
Towns. Simply based on the band’s live
shows, the album shot up to #1 on the British charts within the span of a
week. The Enemy UK, with Tom Clarke
(guitars/piano/vocals) at its helm along with Liam Watts (drums), and Andy
Hopkins (bass), began a fast climb to success.

The debut album spawned a series of tracks that included the
realization of being trapped in “We’ll Live and Die In These Towns,” the bleak
picture of vicious circles in “This Song Is About You,” and the dissatisfaction
of a traditional way of life in a working class town heard in “Away From
Here.” All of the album’s songs were
delivered with conviction in a Jam-like post punk style.

In 2009, the band returned with their next album, Music For
the People. Despite being critically
downplayed, Music For The People still achieved a #2 ranking on the UK
charts. Even so, the band’s sophomore
effort merely collected Gold status while the magnificent debut was awarded
Platinum status (sales of one million units).
Music For The People was a noticeable change in several ways with the
band attempting to expand on their presentation. Musically, the songs employed a more pop/punk
sound.

Defensively, Tom Clarke had this to say about Music For The
People: “I don’t think my politics have changed. We’ve just got a broader perspective. We only ever wrote about the world around us.” He continued with, “There’s a place for what
we say, but it’s down to the individual lyricist. You can’t find an issue for the sake of
it. And you need colorful bands like
MGMT and Klaxons anyway, particularly in a recession, when you want escapism.”

After the release of the last album, the band went
dark. It wasn’t until 2011 that the band
announced that they were working on their third album with a definite return to
the sound of We’ll Live And Die In These Towns.
The band has taken to the social arena with a consistent barrage of information
via their FaceBook page, and a steady stream of Twitter tweets focused on
keeping the concerned fan base involved.
It seems to have worked as excitement has built for the new album.

While I haven’t heard a single track from the band’s next
album, planned for the first quarter of 2012, the memory of the debut still
rings true. That album was a brilliant
work beginning to end. Music For The
People was not bad, it just didn’t have the intensity of the first. If the new album truly returns to the
intensity of the first, it makes a strong case for your attention, especially
if post-punk is one of your musical pleasures.

Matt Rowe began his life with an AM radio, listening to anything that was considered music. Since, he has labored intently to build a collection of music, paring it down, rebuilding, and refining as he sees fit. His decided goal is to keep up with new music by panning for the nuggets among literal mountains…